2 fatalities

1969-12-26: De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou (63-9723) — United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) — Tiên Phước, Vietnam

Tiên Phước, VietnamLanding (descent or approach)

On December 26, 1969, a De Havilland DHC-4 Caribou (registration 63-9723) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Tiên Phước, Vietnam during landing or approach. 2 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was struck by an artillery shell during its approach to the airfield. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781236794Data APIEditorial standards

A military aircraft crashed short of the runway threshold at Tiên Phước after being struck by an artillery shell during its final approach.

What happened

During the final approach phase of flight toward Tiên Phực, the aircraft was struck by a mortar shell. The impact caused the plane to lose control, resulting in a high-speed dive into the terrain. The crash occurred just a few kilometers before reaching the runway threshold.

There were three crew members on board at the time of the incident. The accident resulted in two fatalities and one survivor. The surviving crew member was the co-pilot, while the other two occupants perished in the impact.

Findings

Investigations concluded that the primary reason for the loss of control and subsequent crash was that the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire.

Probable cause

The aircraft was struck by an artillery shell during its approach to the airfield.